If you allow me to carry my cynicism a bit further, I would describe the Paris agreement about climate change as a fig leaf. It allows everyone to continue doing what they want while being A message from a colleague: to say they tried to stop the seas from rising. They can say to the people being drowned, "we did our best, so stop complaining". Meanwhile, fossil fuels will be phased out only as fast as is convenient and economically beneficial, as would have been the case without the agreement. Meanwhile, everyone can be happy for a little longer.